Life's Little Mysteries Culture Archives
Longest Kiss Ever Happening Right Now: 34 Hours and Counting
February 14, 2011, Life's Little Mysteries Staff
The previous Guinness World Record for longest kiss has already been surpassed by seven competing couples in Thailand.
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Disregard That Diet-Soda-and-Stroke Study
February 14, 2011, Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
Experts are very critical of a recent study linking diet soda with an increased risk of stroke.
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What's the Origin of Valentine's Day?
February 14, 2011, Jeanna Bryner
Valentine's Day has its roots in ancient Rome. Sweetheart cards, conversation hearts, and flowers also have dated origins. Life’s Little Mysteries explains the holiday’s ancient roots.
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When Is George Washington's Real Birthday?
February 11, 2011, Ben Shouse, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Depending on the calendar, George Washington was born on either February 11, 1731, or February 22, 1732. Life's Little Mysteries explains why he could celebrate two birthdays.
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5 Strange Courting Rituals from Around the World
February 11, 2011, Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
Asking someone to "be your Valentine" is pretty weird when you think about it… but not as strange as these five courting rituals from around the world.
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How Handsome Cupid Became a Chubby Cherub
February 11, 2011, Remy Melina, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
Life's Little Mysteries explains how Cupid transformed from a handsome Roman god to a chubby cherub.
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Why Were Red M&M’s Discontinued for a Decade?
February 10, 2011, Remy Melina, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
A health scare caused red M&M’s to disappear from stores for more than a decade. Life's Little Mysteries explains why the chocolate candies were eventually reintroduced.
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Looking for Love? Move to San Antonio
February 09, 2011, Life's Little Mysteries staff
San Antonio was recently voted the best U.S. city for love. Coming in last? Jacksonville, Florida.
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Why Do We Kiss?
February 08, 2011, Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
World record kissing always happens on Valentine's Day. Life's Little Mysteries explains why we kiss in the first place.
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How to Become a Country in 3 Easy Steps
February 08, 2011, Remy Melina, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
What must the Republic of South Sudan do in order to become recognized as a new, independent country?
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Why Do Doves Represent Love?
February 08, 2011, Remy Melina, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
Doves are a year-round symbol of peace, but are a particular romantic staple of Valentine's Day. Why are these birds so, well, lovey-dovey?
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Was Hamlet Criminally Insane? Supreme Court Justice Makes a Ruling
February 07, 2011, Remy Melina, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
A mock trial of Hamlet attempted to determine whether the prince was insane when he killed Polonius in Shakespeare's classic play.
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Kids Believe Literally Anything They Read Online, Even Tree Octopuses
February 04, 2011, Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
A shocking study shows the supposedly Internet-savvy generation doesn't know how to evaluate information on the Internet. Life's Little Mysteries consults the expert about the problem.
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Is Noah's Ark Really On Top of Mount Ararat?
February 01, 2011, Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
Some people believe the frozen remains of Noah's Ark still sit on top of Mount Ararat in Turkey. Life's Little Mysteries explains why they're wrong.
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Mind Wikipedia's Gender Gap: Men Contribute More Than Women
January 31, 2011, Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
The crowd-sourced encyclopedia is predominately written by men. Why? No one's quite sure.
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How Does Egypt's Government Work?
January 28, 2011, Remy Melina, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
The Arab Republic of Egypt's government is set up to function like a democracy, but it sometimes operates more like a dictatorship. Life's Little Mysteries explains how President Mubarak gained total c...
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Are Lead-Tainted Reusable Shopping Bags Actually Dangerous?
January 28, 2011, Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
Numerous studies have found extremely high lead content in reusable grocery bags sold by major retailers. Life's Little Mysteries explains why you shouldn't worry, or throw your bags away.
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What Did Obama's Body Language Say During the State of the Union Address?
January 26, 2011, Katharine Gammon, Life's Little Mysteries contributor
Body language often resonates with viewers more deeply than the spoken word. Life's Little Mysteries explains what President Obama's body said during last night's State of the Union address.
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Pot Soda vs. Four Loko: Which is More Dangerous?
January 26, 2011, Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
The new pot soda will contain as much THC as several marijuana joints. Life's Little Mysteries explains why it still won't be as dangerous as Four Loko.
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How Accurate Is Wikipedia?
January 24, 2011, Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
Numerous studies have rated Wikipedia's accuracy. On the whole, the web encyclopedia is fairly reliable, but Life's Little Mysteries own small investigation produced mixed results.
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Does the Mob Still Run New York?
January 21, 2011, Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
Other than a few final strongholds, the mob has largely lost its control over industry and politics in New York City.
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Infographic: How Does the Mob Work?
January 21, 2011, Life's Little Mysteries Staff
Every Mafia family organizes its crew in the same way, from Don down to soldier. Here's a handy graphic to keep it straight.
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Never Too Early? NJ Middle School Plans to Drug Test Students
January 11, 2011, Life's Little Mysteries Staff
A New Jersey middle school has proposed a plan to randomly drug test sixth, seventh and eighth graders.
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Which U.S. Political Figures Have Been Assassinated?
January 10, 2011, Remy Melina, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
The shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and killing of U.S. federal judge John Roll can be added to a long list of attempted assassinations of political figures.
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As National Debt Tops $14 Trillion, What's Your Share?
January 03, 2011, Life's Little Mysteries Staff
The national debt has topped $14 trillion for the first time. Life's Little Mysteries calculates your share.
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